KAILUA-KONA — The parking lot at Kona Commons looked less like a business center than it did a strongman competition or a ludus for Roman gladiators Saturday morning at “Bus’ A Move,” a Special Olympics fundraising event meant to help West Hawaii athletes afford the logistics of competition.
KAILUA-KONA — The parking lot at Kona Commons looked less like a business center than it did a strongman competition or a ludus for Roman gladiators Saturday morning at “Bus’ A Move,” a Special Olympics fundraising event meant to help West Hawaii athletes afford the logistics of competition.
There were the HELCO linemen, managers the county’s electric infrastructure, who don’t appear physically unlike the other type of linemen who put their fingers in the dirt for NFL teams on Sundays.
There were the bouncers of Humpy’s Big Island Ale House, human walls who serve as the gatekeepers to West Hawaii’s nightlife industry on Alii Drive.
And there were the members of the State of Hawaii Public Safety Sheriffs Department, men who take misbehaving citizens task, and supplement that power with substantial heft for good measure.
Yet towering over all the “beef,” as Humpy’s bouncer Carl Stewart described it, were the Special Olympics athletes themselves — the reasons behind the event and a collective inspiration far bigger than any pair of biceps putting in work Saturday morning.
One such athlete is Ray Donager, 50, who has been participating in Special Olympics events for 12 years. Most recently, Donager cleared a 315-pound deadlift as a power lifter at an event in China.
But as much as he loved his trip and as proud as he was to compete, what Donager cherishes most about the Special Olympics is simple.
“Making friends,” he said.
Bus’ A Move, one of West Hawaii’s most anticipated charitable events, provides inspiration to every corner of the community, which was reflected in the participants Saturday.
Teams gathering and strategizing on how best to pull a 17-ton bus faster than everyone else creates an uncommon buzz and enthusiasm around the philanthropic endeavor that’s difficult for other worthwhile charities to match.
Participants said some of that is owed to the unique, interactive nature of the event. But mostly, it’s about the Special Olympics athletes themselves.
“It’s all for a great cause, giving back to the community,” said Stewart. “And it’s fun, too, even though we didn’t get that much sleep because we got off at 3 a.m. this morning. But once you get the momentum going and get motivated, after the first pull man, it’s like full speed ahead.”
Deputy Sheriff Dustin Ballesteros said once you meet the athletes, it’s inevitable you’re going to want to get more involved. For him, that meant becoming a Special Olympics coach, particularly in the area of track and field.
“They don’t even have to be on my team, I’m just screaming and cheering for whoever is out there,” Ballesteros said of watching athletes compete in the events Saturday’s fundraiser helps them to attend.
“But if one of my athletes comes across the finish line first or throws the shot put or the softball the farthest, it’s like they’re my own family member,” he continued. “I’ve got this deep pride for it because of the effort they put in. Often times, I get emotional, but it’s all part of it.”
Nani Lehano has been a part of Bus’ A Move for the last four years. She has a son, Shawn, who has been a power lifter in the past and will be on the bowling team at the Winter Classic this year.
“It gives him a broader view of everything outside of his experiences,” she said. “And it helps him make new friends (who become) new families.”
Event Chair for Bus’ A Move, Denise Lindsey, said the participatory nature of Saturday’s event mirrors the point of the Special Olympics themselves — to be a part of something. Something continuous.
“Special Olympics are all year-round,” she said. “That’s one of the misconceptions. We never stop.”
An island state, Ballesteros explained competing in Hawaii can get expensive. Bus’ A Move was expected to raise thousands of dollars to help athletes afford travel and accomdations throughout the state and, occasionally, the world.
HELCO, getting in on the event for the first time this year, came out of nowhere to outperform event mainstays like the Sheriff’s Department and Humpy’s.
The linemen won the fastest pull event, in which 10 members lug a 17-ton bus 30 feet as fast as they can. The HELCO team also captured victory in the lowest combined body weight pull, in which teams send out the fewest members possible to pull an 8-ton AIRGAS vehicle 15 feet as fast as possible.
Ballesteros joked that the newbies’ win could be chalked up to beginner’s luck and the fact that “these guys pull cable every day.”
“I know a lot of them personally,” he chuckled. “They’re a bunch of big strong tough guys. I’m stoked we were this close to them.”
The Sheriffs Department came in second place in both competitions. The Transportation Security Administration team (TSA) took third in the fastest pull event, while Humpy’s picked up third place honors in the lowest combined body weight pull.
Some of the other event participants included a Rotary Club team, as well as teams from The Club, Not Your Average CrossFit and Hawaii Preparatory Academy. There was also a team of Special Olympics athletes themselves and a team comprised of athletes’ family members.
The award for most enthusiastic team went to the squad from HPA.
“We have a group of kids who just want to make the community better,” said Eric Mumau, a teacher at HPA who helps students run a club supporting Special Olympics. “That’s the best thing about it and we’re excited, whatever happens.”